'Thunder Force' teams Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer in a weak superhero spoof

Melissa McCarthy teams up with husband Ben Falcone again on "Thunder Force," a comedic dud that's aptly titled, since it makes loud noises without really needing to be seen. The one thing unlikely to be heard during this Netflix superhero spoof is a whole lot of laughter.

McCarthy is obviously a formidable talent, but perhaps especially after her acclaimed dramatic role in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" it's easy to wish she'd be a bit more judicious about choosing material, especially with misfires like "The Happytime Murders" in the recent rear-view mirror. "Thunder Force" certainly isn't a small-scale exercise, not just mirroring the trappings of a superhero movie, but attracting Octavia Spencer as its co-star and Bobby Cannavale (who also appeared in "Superintelligence"), Jason Bateman and Melissa Leo in supporting roles. The scenes involving McCarthy and Bateman do conjure a chuckle or two by virtue of their sheer ridiculousness, but that amounts to a tiny oasis in a very, very arid comedic desert.